I am sending two bikes to BA from Vancouver in mid November. The bikes should be there around 6 January 2010 for pick up. Agent from Vancouver told me that the fees I'll have to pay in BA to get the bikes will be around $150, I hope he is right ... after reading all the posts above I am getting a bit scared ...

This is running on two threads, so will post it here too. (Is also in South America travels).

Hi all,

So we are in the week preceding the arrival of the container in Buenos Aires.
Here are some questions I hope you can advise on. Thank you.

1) Is the warehouse compulsory?
We are hoping to drive the car out of the port straight away.

2) Can we be there when the container is being opened?
The car does not pass through without us putting some weight at the back (we had three men putting their weights on the back in order for the car to fit into the container when loading) - because of the roof tent, which is carbon fiber, and thus fragile. (even with tires deflated)

So far, here are the costs for a '20 container 1 vehicle + personal effects:

Step 1: The shipping cie in BA, Mediterranean MSC (in $USD)
River plate toll: $90
THC destino: $140
Logistics fees: $25
Delivery order: $73 ($60+$12,60 tx)
* Handling: $35
* Carta de garantia/Escribano: $20 (paid 60 pesos)
TOTAL: US $383

Same day transfer made to the shipping cie to their account in a specific bank (far from the office of course).

* Those items do not seem to appear for all shipping cies, or could simply be new. The carta de guarantia had to be done through a public notary, the escribano.


We thus finished the paperwork with the shipping cie on Tuesday, and now have EMBA and TRP to deal with. It seems EMBA does not want to deal with us until the day after the car arrives (meant to arrive Thursday, so Friday with EMBA)... this is perhaps to extend our stay, we are trying to circumvent this.
3) Does anyone know about this?
We know some were able to do it before, but this is not recent - perhaps it has changed.

Thank you for your quick advice.

John & Isa

Ahoj Fifinka,

No way you ll get your bike off the port for 150 USD. The minimum if you do all the work, negociate with everybody, manage to do it in less than the 5 days time limit, is 800 USD. I paid 450 USD (roughly 900 USD total) 3 years ago and there were 2 motorcycles in the container. This year, i paid 850 USD and i was sharing the container with a vw combi, this is 700 USD without the agent fees (roughly 1400 USD total).

Experience in 2006 : http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...rgentina-24732

Experience in 2009 : http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...050#post262084

Philippe

[quote=mafra;262572]

Cont 20´

Port charges: usd 810
Agency Charges: usd 420
Customs broker: usd 320

[/quote]


We paid a total of 1680 USD and your total is 1550 USD. Where does the 130 USD difference come from?

Regards

A Mafra customer.

Please find more on this thread in the South America travel section, same thread title.
More costs posted.

edited

This would have been nice to get some more informations about the costs in Argentina, for both of us, contractor and the one sharing the costs, this obviously this is a very important information in shipping budget ( it costs more to withdraw vehicules than shipping them). What if we didnt have those 1680 USD on our accounts?

As far as i understand, we have been charged much more than other people using other companies than Grimaldi to get the vehicules out. A total bill without agent 1360 usd against around 850 USDfor others without agent.We are trying to understand the reason for the surcharge of 500 USD.

The price quoted by the agent was the same. 320 USD. The difference comes from Port and Grimaldi fees (we went to Grimaldi offices).

Another point is that with the 5000 USD cash warranty needed to do the paperwork by ourselves, we were not given much option for the agent, since carrying so much money is a huge risk. Other companies don t seem to requiere a warranty. If you add the 500 USD to the 320, it basicly doubles the exit budget!!

Now people on that forum have the information we missed, and can make knowledgedly a choice between between using Grimaldi or other companies, since they are capable to calculate the total costs including costs in Argentina.

edited

1/ The lady has to be a good actress since she seemed extremely shocked when the 1680 USD were shown on a bill and asked is the bill was in pesos.

2/ Since those fees are claimed by the port, nobody understand why Grimaldi asks 60% more than other shippers for opening a similar container (see reports here). We were confirmed the prices were per container, not per weight (5% depend on weight).

3/ Since this is a new set rule, why people who claimed their vehicules AFTER us were not asked for that warranty when they decided to make the paperwork by themselves. That warranty is IMPOSSIBLE to gather in a few days. People have problems getting 500 USD from ATMs to pay their rent here. Walking around with 5000 USD in cash makes you a perfect taxi and motorcycle kidnap target. This FORCES the customer into buying assistance.

This information is directed to Vorteks, but others may find it very useful.

I have been following the two threads running on the topic of port fees and processes for a foreign tourist who has shipped their vehicle/moto to Buenos Aires.

I know very little more than I have read here with the exception of the following useful information.

Several of the Hubb have flown into Buenos Aires and purchased new or used Argentine registered vehcicles or motorcycles. This is legal for a foreign tourist, with the restriction that as the law is now interpreted the foreign tourist cannot leave Argentina with his/her legally purchased Argentine registered vehicle or motorcycle. There is a similar in Chile. There is a legal way for a foreign tourist to exit Argentina on his or her Argentine registered vehicle, but it requires the assisance of an Argentine or a permanent foreign resident of Argentina. A foreign tourist may legally sell his/her Argentine registered vehicle or motorcycle in Argentina or park it in Argentina forever without any special permit.

In order to purchase an new or used vehicle/moto in Argentina a substantial amount of US dollars or pesos is needed. I have discovered two banks in Buenos Aires that will allow the withdraw of cash up to the limit on a credit card. Elisa and I have used this service many times and I have sent more than 20 people to one or the other of these banks and no one has reported a problem withdrawing cash up to the limit of their credit card

Please e-mail or private message me for the names and locations of the banks.

Vorteks is right on that it is a very bad idea to carry substantial cash on the streets of Buenos Aires. Here is what I suggest. Take your cash from one of the two banks I suggest, in the form of American Express travelers checks, yes there is a fee. Then when buying a vehicle or motorcycle here have the seller meet you at the heavily guarded American Express office downtown Buenos Aires and there you cash your travelers checks and hand over the cash to the seller.

One caution here, American Express travelers checks are not, repeat not, widely accepted in Argentina. They are always accepted at the American express offices and at some banks. Forget trying to use an American Express travelers check at many hotels, gas stations etc.

I hope the above information helps anyone who has a need to withdraw more cash than the normal $300.00 USD per day limit imposed by most Argentina ATM machines.

Eat, Drink, and Be Careful xfiltrate

And, take Vorteks advice, do not carry cash you cannot afford to lose on the streets of Buenos Aires.

__________________
Motorcycle Parking Buenos Aires, Argentina
www.xfiltrate.com

What is the cost of this security solution you are offering, Xfiltrate?

If we take 5% of 5000 US, this is 250 USD to add to all other fees. Since the agent cost 320 USD (and you can find cheaper), once again, the company is forcing you to buy his "cost package" including the agent.

It s never pleasant to feel as if you were treated like a milking cow, but at least by exchanging informations, we can get them to milk just what is legally necessary.

Having to pay more to leave a port than to ship just doesnt make sense.

Ah, good old time when you could send a motorcycle throught the atlantic just riding it inside the boat (without you), with no more paper process, insurance and other "helpers" artificial costs, for half the price an agent is asking to deal with all that legal thievery. This is not that far away, only 15 years.

This was a time before the emergence of China as second global economic power made of shipping a juicy business. Exporting agent, shipping companies, governements, local agents, public servants, banks, insurances, adding fees to fees, feel like an army of fleas pumping your blood "because there is a price to pay" for your freedom of movement.

After all, very few have the chance to travel around the world for leisure (an excuse given by a brazilian clerk while fining me for a visa problem in Manaus).

PS : the shitty weather today in Buenos Aires certainly has something to do with me dropping the politically correct smiling mask.

Vorteks, we have paid NO FEE to .01 or 1%, that is one penny on the dollar, for Am Express Travelers checks in Buenos Aires.

If you use the bank where you have an account, they are usually free, or if you have an American Express card, they are sometimes free and sometimes not free, but even without using our bank or Am express card I have never paid more than a penny on the dollar. This seems very reasonable to me.

Who advised you American Express travelers checks cost 5%? Was it your shipping agent?

Yes, it was light showers all day, Elisa and I walked over to the Kansas Steak House on Libratador, met with friends and celebrated the graduation from high school by correspondence course from the States, of the precocious 16 year old daughter of a close friend.

This morning Elisa was looking out our bedroom window and saw a very large cat on a roof across the street. She called for me to bring the binoculars. When I looked, I saw what appeared to be a black panther or a large jaguar. No kidding, I called the nearby zoo to find out if they were missing any of their big cats, but couldn't get passed the auto answer, so I called the police and after showing them the video I shot, spent the next hour waiting, while the police accessed the roof top. The cat was long gone, the rain did not bother me at all.

The sighting of this cat reminded me of being in the Yucatan and learning from a shaman what such a sighting meant. Maybe, this time, it was just to share this story with you.

Adventures don't need umbrellas, nor do we, really.

Eat, Drink and Be Careful xfiltrate

__________________
Motorcycle Parking Buenos Aires, Argentina
www.xfiltrate.com

Dear all,


yesterday I collected my bike from the BA harbour authorities

• without any problems,
• without help from an agent,
• without bribe,
• without being able to speak any Spanish (!).

I admit, the procedure in BA took two (2) days which maily consisted of waiting. I have shipped my bike from Hamburg (Germany) to BA and had chosen a shipping company that offered an "all-fees-included"-service and also provided me a written procedure how to manage the bureaucracy. A personal briefing at the local dependence was also included.

To me it seems to be crucial that your shipping company clearly states all services and cost included. Analysing the offers I obtained, this was the exception. So, just going for the cheapest offer may not be wise.

USD$1000 for an agent is an order of magnitude (!) to high. Even A$1000 is too expensive. I had a quote for an experienced local and external agent for USD100.

Regards
Dom

(preparing to set off to Mendoza on Xmas day)

Hi TurboDome
Please can you post name of shipping company that you contracted for this adventure and how about sharing some tips on picking your bike in BA.
Thanks

__________________
Serbia to Japan 2014
Central and South America 2016